Transition between morule-like and solid components may occur in solid-predominant adenocarcinoma of the lung: report of 2 cases with EGFR and KRAS mutations

Int J Clin Exp Pathol. 2015 Jun 1;8(6):7475-81. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

A limited number of pulmonary adenocarcinoma cases with morule-like components have been described to date, and the most frequent histological subtype is papillary-predominant adenocarcinoma. Occasionally, this type of adenocarcinoma is associated with solid-predominant adenocarcinoma. EGFR mutations are predominant in adenocarcinoma with morule-like components, followed by ALK rearrangements. Herein, we present 2 cases of solid-predominant adenocarcinoma with morule-like components harboring either an EGFR or KRAS mutation. This KRAS-mutant case is the first to be associated with morule-like components, to the best of our knowledge. Both cases showed transition between micropapillary and morule-like components. Transition between morule-like and solid components was also observed in both cases. Although a few cases of solid-predominant adenocarcinoma have been shown to harbor morule-like components, this type of transition has not been previously well described. We surmised that the solid components of some EGFR-mutant adenocarcinomas might be derived from morule-like components.

Keywords: EGFR; KRAS; Lung; adenocarcinoma; morule; solid.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / genetics*
  • Adenocarcinoma / pathology*
  • Adenocarcinoma of Lung
  • Aged
  • ErbB Receptors / genetics*
  • Genes, erbB-1 / genetics
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mutation
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / genetics*

Substances

  • KRAS protein, human
  • EGFR protein, human
  • ErbB Receptors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)